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Neuropathy symptoms. Permanently and positively help you for just $30 a month. No I'm not selling
it, the $30 a month goes to anyone that you purchase the supplement from. That’s all it costs to help
repair the nerve damage that causes such agony and distress. So, you say, “If that’s true, why hasn’t
my doctor told me to take the supplement?” Doctors prescribe medicine based on what is sold to
them. Doctors’ offices are given samples to hand out to patients. The patient uses the samples for a
week to a month. When the patient comes back for a recheck, typically the doctor will ask how the
patient did with the samples. If everything went okay, the doctor prescribes the same medication
without even thinking of alternatives. Doctors are inundated with ads for various drugs by billion-dollar
drug companies. Even medical websites are cluttered with ads from drug companies. When a doctor
goes to prescribe a drug he or she is probably going to prescribe something that they’ve either been
given samples of or they’ve seen lots of ads for. I have personally told a doctor the cost of a drug and
his surprise was genuine. Often it is only when a patient complains will a doctor search for
alternatives. Who is promoting this $30 a month supplement? Besides me, only the medical literature
and vitamin retailers. If a doctor doesn’t read the right literature, how are they to know about this
obscure supplement? There's so much for doctors to keep up with that it’s not surprising that this
supplement is not well known.
I first read about it in Neurology News, an ezine (electronic magazine) for
physicians that's available to anyone on the web. That's right, the
information is there for everyone. The supplement is Alpha Lipoic Acid, a
naturally occurring compound that our bodies make in small amounts. It is
an antioxidant. Please refer to my page on Alpha Lipoic Acid for information
on how an antioxidant works.
SO HOW DOES THIS HELP YOUR TYPE II
DIABETES?
(usually at least 10 times greater than the dose that is needed to prevent deficiency) to diabetic
patients. And alpha-lipoic acid has been used to treat diabetic neuropathy in Germany for at least ten
years. Why? Because more than one-third of diabetics suffer the numbness and pain of the nerve
damage called diabetic peripheral neuropathy, especially in their feet. Of course, maintaining your blood
glucose at near normal levels is the best way to decrease the risk of diabetic neuropathy. What if you
already have nerve damage though? Those who took 1,200 mg/day orally of alpha-lipoic acid for two
years showed improvement in their nerve conduction scores and improvement in their symptom scores.
The symptoms started to improve after just a few months. Has your doctor done anything to improve
your symptoms or nerve conduction scores? I'm not talking about pain medication; I'm talking about
actual improvement in the health of the peripheral nerves.
NOTE: Because many studies show that insulin resistance instead of a lack of insulin can cause
elevated blood glucose levels. Evidence points to alpha-lipoic acid improving insulin sensitivity. That's
good. But the studies have not been backed by enough human trials for recommendation. Please note,
however, that alpha-lipoic acid therapy MAY change your insulin requirements and you may have to
adjust your doses to avoid hypoglycemia. Please consult your doctor for any necessary dosage
adjustments. Please remember that maintaining your blood glucose at near normal levels is the best
way to prevent any nerve damage.
CAN IT HELP VASCULAR DAMAGE?
What about the vascular damage so common with type II diabeties? One study showed that capillary
perfusion improved in the fingers of some diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy. These patients
were taking 1,200 mg/day of alpha-lipoic acid. Another study of patients taking 600 mg/day of
alpha-lipoic acid over 18 months showed vascular improvement compared to controls.
HOW MUCH ALA IS THERAPUTIC?
The doses of alpha-lipoic acid suggested to be theraputic by research are hundreds of times higher than
can be obtained by food sources. Alpha-lipoic acid is also rapidly metabolized by your body and it is,
therefore, suggested that the recommended dose of 1,200 mg/day be broken down into as many
divided doses as possible during the day. For instance, I take 300 mg four times a day. Break it down
to whatever suits your schedule. A once-a-day dose is not suggested however.
IS IT SAFE?
Alpha-lipoic acid is safe. Alpha-lipoic acid is safe and has no well-known drug interactions. There has
never been any reports of toxicity from overdose of alpha-lipoic acid, however, there haven't been studies
done with pregnant and lactating women so their use of alpha-lipoic acid supplements is not
recommended. According to Healthnotes there is "reliable and relatively consistent scientific data
showing a substantial health benefit" for diabetics.
Although I have read many articles on alpha-lipoic acid, the most comprehensive and best documented
website I have found is Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information
Center. Please consult their webpage for more information.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
Please note that all of the studies talk in terms of months. Be patient. It was four months before I
felt any improvement in my peripheral neuropathy. My nerve damage was three years old. The older the
area of my nerve damage, the slower my improvement. See my web page My Story for more detail of my
nerve improvement.
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